Little Shop of Horrors delivers a bloodthirsty plant and '60s Motown-style songs, September 7 to October 8
Arts Club Theatre Company thriller-comedy musical is based on the cult favourite 1986 film by Roger Corman
Synthia Yusuf (left) and Tenaj Williams in Little Shop of Horrors. Photo by Pink Monkey Studios
Arts Club Theatre Company presents Little Shop of Horrors from September 7 to October 8 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
A SEEMINGLY INNOCENT plant grows into a petrifying larger-than-life carnivore in Little Shop of Horrors, the production kicking off the Arts Club Theatre Company’s 60th anniversary.
The coproduction with Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre, based on the 1986 musical film by Roger Corman, takes place circa-1960 in a flower shop, where the story’s nerdy main character Seymour works with his crush, Audrey.
When Seymour discovers a strange-but-alluring new plant species during a solar eclipse, he dubs it Audrey II in honour of his love. But soon, the Venus-flytrap-like plant begins talking to Seymour, growing at an outrageously fast pace, and worst of all, thirsting for human blood.
Little Shop of Horrors is a thrill-tinged comedy with catchy Motown- and doowop-style tunes, as Ashlie Corcoran (artistic director at the Arts Club) directs the cast through hits from the romantic “Suddenly, Seymour” to the bittersweet track “Skid Row (Downtown)”. Book and lyrics for the original WPA Theatre production are by Howard Ashman, with music by Alan Menken.
The show features Bahamas-born, Calgary-based actor Tenaj Williams as Seymour. He’s starred in TV shows such as CTV’s JANN and the American crime drama Big Sky, while his theatre credits span Theatre Aquarius’s emotionally tense Sweat, and Citadel Theatre and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s adaptation of The Color Purple. Synthia Yusuf is Audrey; the Vancouver-based actor has worked with the likes of The Cultch, Persephone Theatre, and The Musical Stage Company.
The rest of the cast includes Ashley Wright as Mr. Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop; John Ullyatt as Orin Scrivello, Audrey’s toxic boyfriend; Madeleine Suddaby as the voice of the plant, Audrey II; and Braydon Dowler-Coltman is Audrey II’s puppeteer, controlling the massive prop.
There’s also Ivy Charles as Ronnette, Ali Watson as Crystal, and Rochelle Laplante as Chiffon—the three Greek chorus-style narrators of the film.
Live tunes led by musical director Caitlin Hayes (who’s also on keyboard) are from second keyboardist Sean Bayntun, guitarist Mark Richardson, bassist Monica Sumulong Dumas, and drummer-percussionist Colin Parker.
Little Shop of Horrors runs to October 8—which leaves plenty of time to see the cult favourite film brought to life.
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